January 8, 2021

Hello,

I hope that you had a happy holidays and are looking forward to the new year.  There are many opportunities for you to attend meetings coming up online given the current pandemic.  I will work to keep you up to date in case you choose to participate in any of the programs that OSU Extension has planned for the winter meeting season.  Before I share that information, I wanted to let you know that the USDA released crop reports about the 2019 crop year and I have included an article about crop yields in Hardin and surrounding counties.  We have monthly Virtual Ag Coffee Hours planned with a roundtable discussion and information about timely topics each month.  If you are interested in joining us either by computer or phone, see the attached article and flyer for registration details as these are normally the first Friday of the month at 8:00 am.

Crop Yields News Release

Ag Coffee Hour News Release

Virtual Ag Coffee Hour Flyer

Several of you may have received your pesticide-fertilizer private applicator renewal notice from the Ohio Department of Agriculture in the mail if it is your year to recertify.  This year with the pandemic there are different options for you to take care of this.  First of all, you need to complete the form that you might of received in the mail and send it back to ODA with your $30 license renewal fee now.  After that, you can check out our Northwest Ohio Agriculture and Natural Resources Newsletter at https://hardin.osu.edu/sites/hardin/files/imce/Program_Pages/ANR/OSU%20Extension%20Booklet%2012.20%20WEB.pdf to read about the different options for recertification meetings.  There are online videos, webinars, in-person meetings, and video make-up sessions planned for Hardin County but you must register to attend.  This year with the COVID-19 restrictions, we have seating limitations and attendees must wear masks and be seated 6 feet apart if you attend an in-person training.  You can register to attend virtual programs at http://go.osu.edu/hardinagnr or call me at 419-767-6037 if you would prefer to attend an in-person training.  Like before, there is a class fee payable to OSU Extension.  It is $35 for pesticide recertification and $10 for fertilizer recertification or $45 if you need both.  This class fee is in addition to the fee that ODA charges to renew your license and is payed when you attend the class.

Other Hardin County programs planned for include a virtual Soil Health-Cover Crops workshop on January 22.  Join the Water Quality Extension Associates to discuss soil health research and planned cover crops research for 2021 in Hardin County.  Find out how to participate in on-farm research and utilize best practices for cover crops to improve soil health.  There will be two sessions available Friday, January 22 at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.  There is also a virtual New Pesticide Applicator class scheduled for January 26 from 12:30-4:30 pm.  This class will provide instruction in CORE, Grain, and Cereal Crops.  For further study and to prepare for the test, books can be purchased from OSU Extension Publications online and shipped to your house at your expense.  Online class participants for this new pesticide applicator class will not need to pay the in-person $30 class fee which includes books.  See the attached news releases and flyers if you are interested in signing up for any of these local events.

Soil Health-Cover Crops News Release

Soil Health-Cover Crops Flyer

New Pesticide Applicator Training News Release

New Pesticide Applicator Training Flyer

As mentioned earlier, there are a multitude of online webinars that are being conducted by OSU Extension. I have included flyers for Agronomy Team Programs, Precision University, Pastures for Profit Course, and Soil Health Series for you to take a look at.  Each flyer has the details, dates, and times, as well as registration information for each event.  Once you register for a program, you will be sent an email with a link and because most of these programs are recorded, you can watch them later if you were unable to attend them live.  I have also included a news release about the Ohio NRCS Announces New EQIP Application Deadline attached to this email.  Our office does not yet have printed Farmers Tax Guides, but you can view the guide online at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p225.pdf if you are preparing your taxes and need one.  As before, I have included some articles for you to read regarding the latest ag crops news from Ohio State.

Agronomy Team Programs Flyer

Precision U Flyer

Pastures for Profit Flyer

Soil Health Series Flyer

FY21 OH-EQIP_News Release

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

Register Now for OSU Extension’s Online Winter Programs!Mary GriffithAmanda DouridasLaura LindseyAllen Geyer

This winter OSU Extension’s Agronomy Team will offer a variety of educational programs for farmers and crop consultants to attend online. The team will offer both traditional programs including a Corn College, Soybean School, and Precision University, as well as focusing on some new hot topic areas. New programs will focus on three areas: Investing in Soil Health, Crop Diversity to Improve Your Bottom Line,  and Farming in Weather Extremes. CCA CEUs will be offered at each session. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required for each session to receive log-in information. For more information, go to https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-41/register-now-osu-extension’s-online-winter-programs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Application of Manure-Remember SetbacksGlen Arnold, CCA

Some Ohio livestock producers will be looking to apply manure to farm fields frozen enough to support application equipment. Permitted farms are not allowed to apply manure in the winter unless it is an extreme emergency, and then movement to other suitable storage is usually the selected alternative. Thus, this article is for non-permitted livestock operations. To read this article, click on https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-41/winter-application-manure-remember-setbacks.

 

 

 

 

 

PrecisionU: Tackling Spring Operations with Reduced Working DaysJohn BarkerAmanda DouridasKen FordJohn FultonMary GriffithWill HammanElizabeth Hawkins

Precision University is going virtual this year! Due to the pandemic, the Digital Ag team will host a series of hour-long webinars each Tuesday in January at 10:00 AM to replace the annual in-person event.  The 2021 Precision U sessions will focus on “Tackling Spring Operations with Reduced Working Days.” Changing weather patterns have led to fewer days available in the spring to complete planting, spraying, and fertilizing. University and industry experts will share research results and technology available to help you work smarter and more efficiently. Please plan to join us for these sessions at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2020-40/precisionu-tackling-spring-operations-reduced-working-days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Quality WednesdayBoden FisherMatthew RomankoJordan BeckRachel CochranBrigitte Moneymaker

Water quality concerns continue to be at the forefront of environmental-impact discussions across many industries. Since agriculture occupies much of the land area in Ohio, adapting farming operations to include “best management practices” has been an area of focus for agricultural producers, governmental agencies and other stakeholders working to contribute to solutions. As water quality concerns remain, so do opportunities for reviewing the current research and considering adopting practices that work for your situation. Join The Ohio State University Extension-Water Quality Team and guest speakers for a webinar series discussing several timely topics in preparation for the 2021 growing season. Read more at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2021-01/water-quality-wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farm Office Live Winter EditionBarry Ward

“Farm Office Live” returns virtually this winter as an opportunity for you to get the latest outlook and updates on ag law, farm management, ag economics, farm business analysis and other related issues from faculty and educators with the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. Each Farm Office Live will start off with presentations on select ag law and farm management topics from our experts and then we’ll open it up for questions from attendees on other topics of interest.  Viewers can attend “Farm Office Live” online each month on Wednesday evening or Friday morning, or can catch a recording of each program. Finish reading this article at https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2021-01/farm-office-live-winter-edition.

 

 

 

Mark A. Badertscher

Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator

OSU Extension Hardin County

1021 W. Lima Street, Suite 103, Kenton, OH 43326

419-767-6037

hardin.osu.edu